Alumni of Yeshiva Gedolah Lubavitch London from around the world are preparing to celebrate mashpia Rabbi Mendel Gordon’s 60th birthday, and the 35+ years he has dedicated to the yeshiva and the thousands of bochurim who’ve benefited from his influence.
To mark the occasion, the yeshiva’s alumni of every decade are invited to spend a Shabbos together at the yeshiva in June. The Shabbaton will be a beautiful, meaningful reunion with the place and people who made such an impact in each other’s lives, and an opportunity to say thank you to Rabbi Gordon, the man who made such a impact on us all.
A Life of Love and Dedication
Ask an alumnus of Yeshiva Gedolah Lubavitch London to talk about his yeshiva days, and chances are one of the first things he’ll mention is Rabbi Gordon. The fiery passion for Yiddishkeit and chassidishkeit are known to most, but the personal stories of the care and commitment Rabbi Gordon put in to the life of individual bochurim who passed through his doors are usually held a little more privately.
The incredible farbrengens he led and still leads to this day are known, but the effect of seeing him be “24/7 a chossid,” day in and day out, that’s more personal. Whether a bochur came to yeshiva from a frum and Lubavitch family and previous Lubavitch schools, or whether a bochur arrived with a more complicated background, Rabbi Gordon found a way to reach the individual and light a spark.
A Chance to Say “Thank You”
The Alumni 60th birthday shabbaton, and the commemorative journal that will be created to mark the occasion, present an opportunity for alumni whose lives have been touched by Rabbi Gordon to say thank you. Alumni are invited to purchase a dedication page in the journal to express their appreciation for everything Rabbi Gordon showed them during their years there. It’s also an opportunity to show family and friends an inspiring example of what a chinuch built from love and devotion on a foundation of true Torah and Chassidus values can accomplish.
In the words of the Shabbaton Committee who are spearheading this initiative “thousands of bochurim have had their lives changed at our little yeshiva in Hampstead Garden Suburb. Together, they have the power to give back, and keep building for the future. For their own children and grandchildren someday, iy”h, and for the next thousand bochurim from every place and every kind of background.”
Shabbaton Committee Members are Mendel Feller, Yitzy Lowenthal, Moshe Bleich, Yehoshua Werde, Yossi Rappoport, Yisroel Lew, and Yosef Chaim Bruck.
Visit this website to find out more about the shabbaton, to register and dedicate a page in the commemorative journal.